EA Montreal hit with second round of layoffs

Mobile-focused developer cut back again after February

Electronic Arts has further culled its mobile-focused Montreal studio, according to a company statement and anonymous sources on Gamasutra. The number of employees affected was not disclosed, though these layoffs are seperate from those the studio suffered in late February.

"EA is sharpening its focus to provide games for new platforms and mobile," the statement read. "In some cases, this involves reducing team sizes as we evolve into a more efficient organization. These are difficult decisions to let go of good people who have made important contributions to EA, and whenever possible we retrain or relocate employees to new roles. Streamlining our operations will help ensure EA is bringing the best next-generation games to players around the world."

A source who spoke with Gamasutra claimed that 200 to 250 employees were eliminated with more to come, but an EA rep said that number is "too high" and the studio is not closing. BioWare Montreal, lead developer of the next Mass Effect, does not appear to have been affected.